Bush Fires First Shot At Congress

Invokes Executive Privilege To Deny Congress Testimony From Aides In Prosecutor Firing Probe

(CBS/AP) 
The probe into the U.S. attorney firings was only one of several Democratic-led investigations of the White House and its use of executive power spanning the war in Iraq, Mr. Bush's secretive wiretapping program and his commutation last week of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby's prison sentence.

Fielding's letter welcomed lawmakers back to town with a clear indication that relations between Congress and the White House had soured during the break.

Mr. Bush's counsel cloaked his tough rejoinder to the Democratic committee chairmen in gentlemanly language, but his message was unequivocal: the White House won't back down, and believes the congressional legal argument to be far weaker than its own and its attitude less appealing.

Fielding dismissed the chairmen's attempt to "direct" the White House to provide the legal underpinning of Mr. Bush's executive privilege claims and a detailed listing of the documents he is withholding. He said the White House already has provided its legal argument and so does not need to do so again — and won't.

"We are aware of no authority by which a congressional committee may `direct' the Executive to undertake the task of creating and providing an extensive description of every document covered by an assertion of Executive Privilege," he wrote. Fielding suggested that asserting executive privilege on the testimony comes as a result of this impasse and the lack of good faith it demonstrates on the part of Congress.

More broadly, Fielding suggested that the congressional inquiry into the entire matter of the U.S. attorneys' dismissals has no constitutional basis, in large part because the president has sole authority to hire and fire federal prosecutors.

"Although we each speak on behalf of different branches of government, and perhaps for that reason cannot help having different perspectives on the matter, it is hoped you will agree, upon further reflection, that it is incorrect to say that the President's assertion of executive privilege was performed without `good faith,' " Fielding's letter said.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, a senior Republican on Leahy's committee, defended the White House Sunday.

"There comes a point where the White House has to say, 'Hey, look there are certain confidential things in the White House that we're not going to share with Congress, just like there are certain confidential things in Congress that we're not going to share with the White House,"' Hatch, R-Utah, said on CBS' Face the Nation.

Meanwhile, the Senate is expected to start debate this week on a bill authorizing military spending in Iraq for the fiscal year starting in October.

Perhaps most significantly, there is now debate inside the administration about whether to begin pulling out troops a lot earlier than previously expected, CBS News senior White House correspondent Bill Plante reports.

However, the administration also tried to lower expectations about a report due Sunday on whether the Iraqi government is meeting political, economic and security benchmarks that Mr. Bush set in January when he announced a buildup of 21,500 U.S. combat forces.

White House press secretary Tony Snow said Monday that all of the additional troops had just gotten in place and it would be unrealistic to expect major progress now.

"You are not going to expect all the benchmarks to be met at the beginning of something," Snow said. "You are hoping that you are going to be able to see progress in terms of meeting benchmarks from that beginning stage to what you see in two months."

On Iraq, Democrats expect to resume legislative challenges to Mr. Bush's policy on the war as the Senate this week takes up a major defense spending bill. The administration has been concerned about an escalation of Iraqi war fervor. So much so that Defense Secretary Robert Gates canceled a four-nation South American tour this week to work with the White House on Iraq policy.

There have been no decisions made within the White House regarding any changes to the Iraq strategy, but the most pressing question is how to keep more Republicans from distancing themselves publicly from the Mr. Bush's policy, Plante reports.

Last week, Republican Sen. Pete Domenici of New Mexico expressed doubts about the current U.S. military tack in Iraq, joining a recent wave of fellow GOP senators that includes John Warner of Virginia, George Voinovich of Ohio and Richard Lugar of Indiana.

[starleo146]

Is Bush doing a Wag The Dog Again?

[twylacrat]

The firing of the judges is just one more shining example of this idiot firing, incarcerating, or just plain destroying anyone who doesn't agree 100% with every word out of his stupid mouth. There's a word for that------dictator! Isn't that what we are fighting in Iraq with Saddam?

[twylacrat]

WHAT IS VICTORY IN IRAQ? WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? I THINK THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE IRAQIS RUNNING THEIR OWN COUNTRY. HOW CAN THEY DO THAT WITH US THERE? IF WE LEAVE, THEN THEY CAN AND MUST DO IT.

[rharrin1]

The FACT is that CLINTON actually did an impeachable offense -- he LIED to a Grand Jury (under oath) -- Bush has done NOTHING that rises to an impeachable offense, unless of course being hated or being a total dumb-*** is considered an impeachable offense. THIS patriot knows this.
Posted by BIGDADPATRIO at 12:13 AM : Jul 10, 2007

Outing a cia agent and a front company for the cia and her contacts is treasonous and how can anybody except a idiot compare the two?
Only right wing bible thumping conservatives are capable.

[gunownerdan]

For the sake of America we've gotta get the Bush/Clinton criminal thugs out of power!

[drummer94]

Seems to me that "CarlyLaine" was on these threads yesterday, got chased off for being a moron, and changed names. I'd go back but 63 pages? I remember it was always, BUT, BUT, Bill Clinton did..... WA WA WA

[abbe7]

Funny, the only thing Clinton had to do was to offer "private, off-the-record interviews".

[realpatriot1]

CarlyLaine,

To answer your question, what happened when Clinton hid behind executive privilege was that he was eventually pressured by liberals and conservatives alike into waiving that privilege and he eventually did. In that case, the matter didn't have to go to court. The Supreme Court ruled in United States vs. Nixon( an aptly named case) that executive privilege is only relevant in cases involving national security. This case does not involve national security, so his lawyers are playing games to gag witnesses in a case where evidence of criminality has surfaced in previous testimony from other members of his administration.

[space_poet]

Look everyone, we have a new troll, CarlyLaine, here to spew the same ignorant talking points all over again. Just keep spreading your lies CarlyLaine, we've spit out at least 10 trolls like you in the last month. We are a lot smarter than that. You should try that on some Freeper sight, cause no one buys it anymore, we know when we've had the wool pulled over our eyes.

No one here is justifying Clinton, only you.

[crater7]

China may we borrow your court for awhile?

Good post, Here's one CBS missed this morning,
"GONZO TOLD OF FBI VIOLATIONS". I'll bet he can't recall?

[brianbwb-2009]

(AP) China executed the former head of its food and drug watchdog agency Tuesday for allegedly approving untested medicine in exchange for cash, the strongest signal yet from Beijing that it is serious about tackling its product safety crisis.

China, may we borrow your court for a while? We have a corruption problem in our White House, our Senate, and our House of Representatives.

[r9119111]

Whenever I read the comments for articles like this, I am reminded of how foolish it is to get too seriously involved. The extremists on both sides spew out such B.S. it is difficult to make rational choices based on the discussions. Bush knows the Democrats simply don't have enough votes to challenge him seriously until his political block is cracked by defections. It is only a matter of time for that to happen because the far right agenda has been so extreme that the people are now experiencing severe separation from their government. Many individuals and states are now acting on their own to address the problems of our nation. The government is becoming more and more irrelevant -- where have we heard that word before? The average person wants our government to stop the political partisanship and get down to debate, cooperation and consensus on the issues of our time and come up with common sense solutions. Government officials, stop the nonsense and do what the people are paying you to do. You are representing the people first, remember? We are paying you, give you great benefits and excellent retirements to do that, remember? This is especially true for our President and his blocks in Congress. That is only my opinion. Would you rightly deny me my opinion in a democratic republic such as ours?

[carlylaine]

fairandbal

"Bush hides his crimes behind 'executive privilege' and we're supposed to stand by and let him do as if he's king or something?"

Clinton didn't hide behind executive privilege did he? Did he? You bet he did-all the time. What happened LIBERALS did you all of a sudden start to pay attention and get lost in lies? Where do you come up with this?

Do you think Bush is the first to site EP? NO! Where have you been? Smoking crack with your hero Clinton? Wise up. Grow up. Stop whining like babies and nambypamby wimps.

If you don't like the BIG CONSTITUENCY OF CONSERVATIVES stop whining get off your butts and defeat us in the presidency.

I knew the LIBERAL men were pansy a$$e$. Don't fight, turn cheek...run like a weeny and WA WA WA WA.

[carlylaine]

Does any LIBERAL remember what CLINTON with the justices when he became the WORST PRESTIDENT EVER? He fired all of them. It was like 90 something....Who made a ruckus? Nobody. Did the DEMS make a big deal? nopers. Why? Because it's ok when then do it-not okay when republicans or Conservatives are involved.

Liberals are sanctimonious F***S! You don't see what you done; you only see what you want to see. FAKERS!!! LIARS...

BIGDADPATRIO (my hero)

[meboard]

Excuse me badaxmofo, but what did the Republican'ts do the 12 years they held the stick? BAH--BAH--BAH yourself!

[ubrew12]

BIGDADPATRIO said: "Yes, [Gonzales] might have done something unETHICAL or imMORAL by doing it,... but, again, NOTHING ILLEGAL has been/ever was done. GET OVER IT and focus on SOMETHING IMPORTANT. "

First: It's just AMAZING that as a so-called patriotic american you could be comfortable saying that. In case you missed the lesson, the independence of the Judiciary is one of the FOUNDING PRINCIPLES of our nation. The Prez assigns people... AND LETS THEM DO THEIR JOB. No politics, no partisanship, no NOTHING. Hard for you idiots to believe, but the JUDICIARY IS A CO-EQUAL branch of government, as POWERFUL as the president. This president has tried in many many ways to destroy that independence (or didn't you get the warrantless wiretap?).

Second: This president has assaulted the Judiciary on SO MANY FRONTS, it is now HIS BURDEN OF PROOF (and yours) that nothing illegal was done. To prove that, he's got to let Congress peer into his emails and SHOW its legal. BTW: I'm talking about the REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMMITTEE emails, NOT the White House emails. WHAT'S THE PREZ DOING, performing the nations business on a PRIVATE email server???? What is it he DOESN'T want history to record????

[nyckate]

BIGDADPATRIO - for the love of God - Clinton lied about a *** --- Bush's lies are much more serious and are costing too many americans too much - their lives, their limbs, their families, their future.

Bush is president for the last 6 years - he's an utter and complete failure.

He didn't invoke privelege when he thought he'd get away with how people talking to congress not under oath - that means he had a story lined up that wasn't the truth for them to tell. And now he can't have them tell it.

[j-whitman]

Good night folks, tomorrow's another news day.

[j-whitman]

BIGDADPATRIO ---

This isn't about Clinton, is it ??? --- It's about Bush & his failed War on Terror in Iraq...... But your Patriotism stops with Party,, Mine doesn't.

[fairandbal]

Bush hides his crimes behind 'executive privilege' and we're supposed to stand by and let him do as if he's king or something? The man should not be leader of this country. Let him stand trial for his crimes!